I didn’t know it existed

Then it found me

Never thought it was real

There it was

Couldn’t possibly last

But there she slept

What a beautiful morning

It still was a dream

Even so wide awake

Quickly a nightmare

Things had changed

All that was

Existed no longer

So many happy memories

A terrible nightmare

Her beautiful sleeping face

Burned into my mind

A line once crossed

Can never go back

We could make it work

So very naïve

Or perhaps just hopeful

Years later

Barely a memory

The smell of that perfume

Not even bittersweet

Like remembering a movie

You saw on tv

Filled with commercials

Hardly paying attention

That’s all it amounts to now

Smiles forever ago

Followed by doubts and sadness

strength gained

A painful lesson learned.